Bit of a Newb Question

[SpawnXIII]

Hey all, I just joined here and this looks like the best place to post it.

Anyway, I wanted to buy Half-Life on eBay, cause it looks a lot better and sounds a lot better than the game I've been playing in my spare time. (Rakion)

Plus, I'm extremely good at FPS games and figured that CS/HL would come naturally to me, because I have played it before, but only once, and I still owned at it though. (Yes, online)
So I figure I can make a couple bucks in my spare time in tournaments or something later-on, after I get the hang of it.
(Honestly this stuff comes easily to me, and I've been a Pro-Gamer for a couple other FPS games, and have won tournaments)

So, I looked around last night and came across and auction and baught
Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2, newly boxed, never played, for $40.

I looked around after some more and realized that there's a LOT of Counter-Strike/Half-Life games out there, it's ridiculous.
So it confused the hell out of me.

So could someone explain to me what exactly I baught?
I thought that Counter-Strike: Source was the first CS released, and that Half-Life 2 was the expansion for that.
Am I wrong on that one?

Basically, I want to play Half-Life 2, but so I need something before I can install that? If not, then what's the expansion for Half-Life 2?

In short, what's the game everyone else is playing online right now, and what games do I need before I play that?

Sorry for the extremely noob question, but it confused the living hell out of me.

Thanks for your help, it's very apprecieated.

**edit**
By the way, here's a link to the eBay auction I was telling you about, that I won.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

In the beginning, there was Half-life, and all was well. Then came Counter-strike, a mod to Half-life, and CS nerds were born.

Then, after many years of waiting came Half-life 2, the sequel to the game Half-life. And with it, came Counter-Strike: Source, the same basic game as CS, with better graphics. And whiners everywhere started complaing about hitboxes.

CS is still the ruling game over... any other game. Sadly. It sucks imo. To play THAT game, you need Half-life, the game released in 1998. To play Counter-Strike Source, you need Half-life 2, the game released in 2004. To play Half-life 2, you need a good computer and money.

 

[SpawnXIII]

Ah, alright, that answered it pretty much.

Thanks a bunch.

And by money, I hope you mean only to buy the game. Cause I'm getting sick of those "pay-to-play" games.

 

[jerkasaur]

...and motivation, which i don't think you have, you seem to be more into CS than HL2...
btw AJ Rimmer, funny, but true.

 

[Insano]

You forgot about Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. This game is also on PC on the HL1 engine (standalone game).

It's just CS with better graphics, some more functions, and more maps, etc.

It goes like this: Counter-Strike 1.6 (1.6 means which version) < Counter-Strike: Condition Zero < Counter-Strike: Source.

 

[SpawnXIII]

...and motivation, which i don't think you have, you seem to be more into CS than HL2...
btw AJ Rimmer, funny, but true.

Nah, believe me, I have motivation.
I'm not afraid to get my ass kicked as a newb and sometimes there-after.
(Cause I know it's gonna happen)

Anyway, I'm actually into HL2 more, because that's what I wanted to play in the first place.
So...yeah.
I just wanted to know what was what, that's all.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

p.s. dont buy HL2 from ebay as the cd-keys are usually already taken, thats all your paying for as you can download the actualy game through steam without the cds if you like. Or they are generated from a cd key generator. So cross your fingers your version is legitimate. Theres alot of copies of the game i noticed...could be just some guy generating random cd-keys, printing some covers for dvds cases and burning the .gcfs over, and sealing them. Possible.

Always buy HL2 through steam or shops. 2nd hand games don't work, and most ebay versions.

 

[SpawnXIII]

p.s. dont buy HL2 from ebay as the cd-keys are usually already taken, thats all your paying for as you can download the actualy game through steam without the cds if you like. Or they are generated from a cd key generator. So cross your fingers your version is legitimate. Theres alot of copies of the game i noticed...could be just some guy generating random cd-keys, printing some covers for dvds cases and burning the .gcfs over, and sealing them. Possible.

Always buy HL2 through steam or shops. 2nd hand games don't work, and most ebay versions.

Well, if it doesn't work, then I'll have eBay deal with his ass.
(It's happened before for another game, and I ended up getting my money back; plus a regular new working version of the game for free, with the key)

So...yeah.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Well, if it doesn't work, then I'll have eBay deal with his ass.
(It's happened before for another game, and I ended up getting my money back; plus a regular new working version of the game for free, with the key)

So...yeah.

good luck with that, these guys tend to go missing if you get what i mean. Just be careful with buying games like this.

 

[SpawnXIII]

good luck with that, these guys tend to go missing if you get what i mean. Just be careful with buying games like this.

Yeah, thanks for the warning though.
It looks like he's reliable though, because his feedback is all posative, like 9 negative out of about 9,000 posative. (literally)
So I think he's a pretty safe bet.
All it looks like he sells is videogames.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

All it looks like he sells is videogames.

Whats he doing with all those HL2 copies...

 

[SpawnXIII]

Whats he doing with all those HL2 copies...

Beats me, but I looked at his store and I baught the only one, so maybe it's true.
The copies he has are some Atari shit lol.
There's a Counter-Strike Platinum Box thing he's selling but that's it.

So I think it's real, and if not then I'll have my revenge. lol.

Anyway, I figured it would be the best way to get a good price.
We'll see what happens.

 

[sinkoman]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Don't buy ANY HL games on EBAY! You need an authentic CD key, and once the games been installed, it's bound to that persons account.

So basically, HL2 on ebay won't work on your account, unless you buy a new CD key, which is ripping yourself off.

BTW, by accounts, I mean STEAM accounts.

EDIT: Beaten to it

 

[Epsi]

It says on the auction they're sealed boxes, so if that's true that's probably ok...

But you still have to be careful.

 

[diluted]

A lot of people have got burned by buying HL2 from ebay, and Valve says they won't help you at all if you get screwed over. So hopefully you get a legit copy of the game.

 

[Shodan]

It think buying games, especially HL2 from Ebay is more hassle than its worth concerning CD-Keys and accounts, its easier to buy a hard copy or download it from steam.